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Continued to Improve Its Sustainable Ranges Report' which was released
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United States Government Accountability Office:
GAO:
Report to Congressional Committees:
July 2013:
Military Training:
DOD Met Annual Reporting Requirements and Continued to Improve Its
Sustainable Ranges Report:
GAO-13-648:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-13-648, a report to congressional committees.
Why GAO Did This Study:
As U.S. forces draw down from Afghanistan and home training is
expanded, the competition for training ranges may also increase.
Section 366 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2003 (as amended) required DOD to submit a comprehensive
plan to address training constraints caused by limitations on the use
of military lands, marine areas, and airspace available in the United
States and overseas for training, and provide annual progress reports
on these efforts through 2018. The act also requires GAO to submit
annual evaluations of DODís reports to Congress within 90 days of
receiving them from DOD. In this report, GAO examined (1) whether
DODís 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report met the legislative requirements;
and (2) whether DOD acted on GAO previous recommendations to improve
its submissions.
What GAO Found:
The 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report of the Department of Defense (DOD)
met the annual statutory reporting requirements for the department to
describe its progress in implementing its sustainable ranges plan and
any additional actions taken or planned for addressing training
constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands, marine
areas, or airspace. DODís 2013 report provides updates to several
elements of the plan that the act required it to include in its annual
progress reports, including (1) proposals to enhance training range
capabilities and address any shortfalls; (2) goals and milestones for
tracking progress in the implementation of its sustainment plan; and
(3) projected funding requirements for each of the military services
to implement their planned actions. DOD reported that there were no
significant changes in range capability or encroachment since 2012. It
identified emerging challenges to training range sustainability, and
reported on actions being taken to mitigate them. It used goals and
milestones in its progress updates, and reported its projected funding
requirements for implementing planned actions. Together these elements
describe DODís progress in implementing its comprehensive plan and
addressing training constraints at its ranges, thus meeting the annual
reporting requirements of the act.
DOD has now implemented all prior GAO recommendations focused on
meeting the requirements of the act and improving report submissions.
GAO reported in 2012 that DOD had implemented all but 2 of 13 prior
recommendations. DOD has subsequently addressed these 2
recommendations by developing and launching the range assessment
module within the Defense Readiness Reporting System. Additionally,
DOD created a range visibility tool within its range scheduler system
to enable a user to query and identify the availability of training
ranges across the Army, Marine Corps, and Navy to optimize utilization
of training resources. Future improvements include plans to provide a
link to the Air Force range scheduling system. Through the changes DOD
has implemented in its annual reporting over the past several years,
the department has continually improved reporting on the
sustainability of its ranges.
What GAO Recommends:
GAO is not making any recommendations in this report. In commenting on
this report, DOD stated that it agrees in general with the report.
View [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-648]. For more
information, contact Brian Lepore at (202) 512-4523 or leporeb@gao.gov.
[End of section]
Contents:
Letter:
Background:
DOD Met the Annual Reporting Requirements in Its 2013 Sustainable
Ranges Report:
DOD Has Implemented All Prior GAO Recommendations:
Agency Comments:
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology:
Appendix II: GAO Recommendations from 2004-2011 Reviews and the Status
of the DOD's Implementation of Those Recommendations:
Appendix III: Comments from the Department of Defense:
Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:
Related GAO Products:
[End of section]
GAO:
United States Government Accountability Office:
441 G St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20548:
July 9, 2013:
Congressional Committees:
As U.S. forces draw down from Afghanistan and home-station training
potentially increases, the competition for ranges, airspace, and
maneuver training land is expected to increase. The Department of
Defense (DOD) relies on access to military land, airspace, sea space,
and frequency spectrum to provide its forces a realistic training
environment that will prepare them to face combat or complex missions
around the globe. Competition for access to live training resources
may worsen because of domain shortfalls and growing encroachment
challenges.[Footnote 1] To respond to these challenges and increase
the long-term sustainability of its military range resources, DOD has
launched a number of efforts aimed both at preserving its training
ranges and addressing the effects of its training activities on the
environment and on local communities through the issuance of policy,
establishment of programs, and proactive partnering at the federal,
state, and local levels.
Section 366 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2003 (as amended) required DOD to submit a comprehensive
plan for using existing authorities available to the department to
address training constraints caused by limitations on the use of
military lands, marine areas, and airspace in the United States and
overseas to Congress at the same time as the President submitted his
budget for fiscal year 2004.[Footnote 2] Further, section 366 required
the Secretary of Defense to submit an annual progress report to
Congress along with the President's budget through fiscal year 2018.
Since 2004, DOD has submitted an annual sustainable ranges report to
address these requirements. Additionally, the act directed GAO to
submit annual evaluations of DOD's reports to Congress within 90 days
of receiving these reports from DOD.[Footnote 3] In response to this
act, our review of DOD's 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report is our 10th
annual report. In this review, we determined (1) whether DOD's 2013
Sustainable Ranges Report met the legislative requirements; and (2)
whether DOD acted on GAO recommendations to improve its report
submissions, and what opportunities, if any, exist for DOD to improve
future reporting.
To determine whether DOD's 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report met the
reporting requirements specified in section 366(a) of the Bob Stump
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (as amended),
we reviewed the current report and compared it with those requirements
in the act. We also compared the 2013 and 2012 reports to determine
what changes, if any, DOD had made to its Sustainable Ranges Report.
In addition, we met with Office of the Secretary of Defense and
service officials to determine whether the 2013 report met the
mandated requirements and whether there were changes to the services'
submission for 2013 as compared with the 2012 submission. The intent
of our review was to determine whether DOD's report met mandated
requirements and whether DOD's reporting could be improved. To
determine whether DOD acted on GAO recommendations to improve its
report submissions and what opportunities, if any, exist for DOD to
improve future reporting, we identified prior GAO recommendations and
reviewed the status of DOD's actions to implement those
recommendations in its reporting submissions on sustainable ranges.
We conducted this performance audit from February 2013 through July
2013 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for
this assessment based on our audit objectives.
Background:
DOD has been reporting to Congress since fiscal year 2004 on several
items related to its training ranges in response to section 366(a) of
the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003.
The act as subsequently amended required annual progress reports to be
submitted at the same time as the President submitted the
administration's annual budget for fiscal years 2005 through 2018. The
requirement that GAO evaluate the plans submitted pursuant to
subsections 366(a) and (b) within 90 days of receiving the report from
DOD has also been extended through fiscal year 2018.
In our prior reviews of DOD's Sustainable Ranges Reports, we noted
that DOD had not addressed certain required elements when it initially
submitted its comprehensive plan in 2004.[Footnote 4] Further, we
noted that it took DOD some time to develop a plan consistent with the
basic requirements of section 366. Over time, we found that as DOD
reported annually on its progress in implementing its comprehensive
plan, it continued to improve its Sustainable Ranges Reports, and it
has reported on the actions it has taken in response to prior GAO
recommendations. For instance, DOD has included special interests
sections for each service providing additional information on areas
affecting training capabilities: the goals, actions, and milestones
section; the funding requirements section; and the individual range
assessments. A specific example is that, over time, the department
progressed from using four common goals and milestones to using seven
shared goals for which the services have developed their own actions
and milestones that are tailored to their missions. We have reported
that these new goals and milestones are more quantifiable and are now
associated with identified time frames.
As part of the preparation of its annual plan, the Secretary of
Defense was to conduct an assessment of current and future training
range requirements and an evaluation of the adequacy of DOD's current
range resources to meet those requirements. We found that the 2012
Sustainable Ranges Report met the annual statutory reporting
requirements for DOD to describe its progress in implementing its
sustainable ranges plan and any actions taken or to be taken in
addressing training constraints caused by limitations on the use of
military lands, marine areas, or airspace. In its 2012 report, DOD
provided updates to several elements of the plan required by the act
to be included in DOD's original submission in 2004. These elements
included (1) proposals to enhance training range capabilities and
address any shortfalls in resources, (2) goals and milestones for
tracking planned actions and measuring progress, and (3) projected
funding requirements for implementing planned actions, among others.
In our review of DOD's 2012 Sustainable Ranges Report, we found that
DOD had implemented 11 of our 13 recommendations since 2004 for
expanding and improving its reporting on sustainable ranges. At that
time, DOD officials stated that they were still in the process of
implementing 2 recommendations. These recommendations were to: (1)
develop an integrated training range database that identifies
available training resources, specific capacities and capabilities,
and training constraints caused by limitations on the use of training
ranges, which could be continuously updated and shared among the
services at all command levels, regardless of service ownership; and
(2) develop a readiness reporting system to reflect the impact on
readiness caused by training constraints due to limitations on the use
of training ranges. For a complete presentation of prior GAO
recommendations and their implementation status, see appendix II.
DOD Met the Annual Reporting Requirements in Its 2013 Sustainable
Ranges Report:
The 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report met the annual statutory reporting
requirements for DOD to describe its progress in implementing its
sustainable ranges plan and any actions taken or to be taken in
addressing training constraints caused by limitations on the use of
military lands, marine areas, or airspace. In its 2013 report, DOD
provided updates to several elements of the plan required by the act.
These elements include (1) proposals to enhance training range
capabilities and address any shortfalls, (2) goals and milestones for
tracking progress implementing DOD's sustainment plan, and (3)
projected funding requirements for implementing planned actions, among
others.
DOD Reported Proposals to Enhance Range Capabilities and Address
Shortfalls:
In our review of DOD's 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report, we found that
DOD again reported on its proposals to enhance training range
capabilities and address any shortfalls in resources. DOD developed
these proposals by evaluating current and future training range
requirements and the ability of current DOD resources to meet these
requirements. In its 2013 report, DOD validated as current the 2012
range assessments and provided an update to the special interest
sections developed by each service. For example, as the Marine Corps
stated that the special interest section from the 2012 Sustainable
Ranges Report was still valid for the 2013 report, the Marine Corps
revalidated the issues it identified in the 2012 report and provided
updates as needed. The Marine Corps identified several training
shortfalls that it is working to remedy, such as the capability to
fully exercise a large Marine Air-Ground Task Force in a
realistically, doctrinally appropriate training scenario. The area
currently used to provide this training is not large enough to
accommodate a full-scale, live-fire Marine Expeditionary Brigade
exercise. In order to address this shortfall, DOD would like to add
150,000 acres of land to this training area, and it is currently, in
conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management, pursuing legislation
from Congress in support of this objective. In its 2013 report, DOD
also reported on four emerging challenges to training and its training
ranges. These four challenges are: renewable energy, the demand for
frequency spectrum, threatened and endangered species, and the
indirect impacts of increased home-station training. For example, the
report stated that as U.S. forces draw down from Afghanistan, the
competition for airspace and training ranges is expected to increase
to levels that have not been experienced for more than 10 years.
During the surge of deployments over that period, demand for airspace
and training ranges in the United States was commensurately lower
since large numbers of forces were deployed to overseas contingency
operations. DOD cited policies, programs, and proactive partnering at
the federal, state, and local levels as a means to address this
challenge.
DOD's 2013 report also revalidated as current its 2012 annual
assessment of the adequacy of existing range resources to meet
training requirements. Beginning with its 2013 report, DOD began
conducting full range capability and encroachment assessments every 3
years rather than annually, and to validate those assessments in the
years between evaluations. DOD's analysis of range capability and
encroachment data over the preceding 10 years had found that there
were not significant changes in the data from year to year, and the
military services had confirmed this finding. For the 2013 report, DOD
asked the military services to validate the range capability and
encroachment data from 2012, and to report on any significant changes.
All of the military services reported that their range assessment data
had not significantly changed from the 2012 report. Officials from all
of the military services told us that they did not believe this change
negatively affected the Sustainable Ranges Report, and that they
believed this change accurately captured range capability and
encroachment data. The next planned full range capability and
encroachment assessment is to be included in DOD's 2015 Sustainable
Ranges Report.
DOD Used Goals and Milestones to Update Its Progress in Implementing
Its Comprehensive Training Range Sustainment Plan:
In its 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report, DOD continued to use goals,
actions, and milestones to help address the statutory requirement to
describe its progress in implementing its comprehensive training range
sustainment plan. DOD has developed seven goals in support of this
plan. These goals are as follows: to mitigate encroachment pressures
on training activities from competing operating space; to mitigate
frequency spectrum competition; to meet military airspace challenges;
to manage increasing military demand for range space; to address
impacts from new energy infrastructure and renewable energy impacts;
to anticipate climate change impacts; and to sustain excellence in
environmental stewardship. Each military service has developed its own
milestones and needed actions for reaching those milestones, using
these goals as a common framework. In the 2013 Sustainable Ranges
Report, each service provided updates to its milestones and actions.
For example, the Army is in the process of implementing the Army
Compatible Use Buffer Zone Program at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, to
protect the military mission and offset training restrictions, and it
reported that approximately 22,000 acres have been conserved and more
than $14 million in funding has been spent in support of this
milestone. DOD also reported on new milestones that have been
identified in support of department goals. For example, the Army is
planning to relocate an instrumentation system to Fort Shafter,
Hawaii, to enable enhanced home-station training in the Pacific by the
end of fiscal year 2013. DOD stated that these goals and milestones
will be reviewed and updated annually to ensure that DOD continues to
address future training requirements and constraints.
DOD Reported Its Projected Funding Requirements for Implementing
Planned Actions:
In the 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report, DOD met the statutory
requirement to track its progress in implementing the comprehensive
plan by identifying the funding requirements needed to accomplish its
goals. DOD has delineated four funding categories to be used by the
services to project their range sustainment efforts: modernization and
investment, operations and maintenance, environmental, and
encroachment. This section of the report also includes definitions and
specific examples for each category, as well as requested funding
levels for fiscal years 2013 through 2017. For example, the
environmental category is described as funding dedicated to
environmental management of ranges, including range assessments,
response actions, and natural and cultural resource management
planning and implementation. Examples of environmental funding include
conducting range assessments and environmental mitigation costs
associated with range modernization and range construction. In this
section, DOD also provides an explanation of any fluctuations
occurring over the 5-year funding period covered in the report. For
example, the Army's modernization and investment funding decreases
from $247.0 million in fiscal year 2013 to a projected $49.3 million
in fiscal year 2017 as a result of a significant reduction in military
construction funding during this period due to DOD's reduction in the
force structure.
The elements of DOD's 2013 Sustainable Ranges Report describe the
department's progress in implementing its comprehensive plan and
addressing training constraints at its ranges, thus meeting the annual
reporting requirements of the act.
DOD Has Implemented All Prior GAO Recommendations:
DOD has implemented all of the 13 recommendations made by GAO since
2004 for expanding and improving its reporting on sustainable ranges.
In our 2012 review, we reported that DOD had implemented 11
recommendations, but had not fully addressed 2 recommendations
regarding readiness reporting. DOD subsequently addressed these 2
recommendations by developing and launching a range assessment module
within the Defense Readiness Reporting System. Additionally, DOD
created a range visibility tool within its range scheduler system to
enable a user to query and identify the availability of training
ranges across the Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. Future improvements
include plans to provide a link to the Air Force range scheduling
system to optimize utilization of training resources.
One of the remaining GAO recommendations that was in the process of
being implemented in 2012 called for the Office of the Secretary of
Defense to develop an integrated training range database that would
serve as the baseline for the mandated comprehensive training range
plan. We reported in 2012 that this database should identify available
training resources, specific capacities and capabilities, and training
constraints caused by encroachment and other factors, and that such
database could be continuously updated and shared among the services
at all command levels, regardless of service ownership. Although DOD
did not concur with our recommendation to develop a stand-alone
training range database, it developed the Defense Readiness Reporting
System-Range Assessment Module. The module provides an integrated
database that identifies available training ranges, capabilities, and
constraints, and this meets the intent of our recommendation.[Footnote
5]
The second remaining recommendation to be implemented called for DOD
to develop a readiness reporting system to reflect the impact on
readiness caused by training constraints due to limitations on the use
of training ranges. Section 366(b) required DOD to report to Congress
its plans to improve its readiness reporting system--the Global Status
of Resources and Training System--to reflect the extent to which
limitations on the use of training ranges affected readiness. DOD did
not concur with our recommendation and stated that it was
inappropriate to modify this system to address encroachment. However,
DOD stated that the department planned to incorporate the impact of
range encroachment on readiness into the Defense Readiness Reporting
System. DOD developed another phase of its Range Assessment Module,
which resides within the Defense Readiness Reporting System-Strategic,
that reflects the effect of range-related training constraints on
readiness, and this meets the intent of our recommendation.[Footnote 6]
The Defense Readiness Reporting System-Range Assessment Module
provides the means to manage and report on the readiness and
capability of military ranges. Phases I and II developed an
unclassified system that captured the range readiness assessment
portion of the Sustainable Ranges Report to Congress in a web-based
format compatible with and capable of being integrated within the
Defense Readiness Reporting System as a stand-alone module. However,
DOD appeared to lack the tools needed to properly define two
challenges associated with managing its ranges. The two main issues
were as follows: (1) service modernization efforts increased the
demand for physical space for individual, unit, and integrated unit
training; and (2) encroachment by external development and endangered
species seeking refuge in suitable habitats within the department's
ranges, coupled with the growing need for more energy resources,
artificially constricted DOD's ability to train properly. Therefore,
DOD had a need to integrate the assessment portion of the Sustainable
Ranges Report process into a single comprehensive readiness reporting
system, as directed by 10 U.S.C. ß 117. DOD consequently developed
phase III of the module in order to obtain this assessment. This phase
allows DOD to establish a link between range assessments categorized
by the services, individual installations, and range complexes. For
example, the module can display range capability and encroachment data
using service-specific mission areas for training ranges.
In addition to providing the assessment of training ranges, DOD also
developed a mechanism to provide greater visibility of training
resources across the services. DOD created the range visibility tool
within its range scheduler system to enable a user to query and
identify the availability of training ranges across the services to
optimize utilization of training resources.[Footnote 7] The need for
this type of query function arose with the likely increased
competition for home-station training resources created by decreased
deployments and increasing budget constraints. These factors
necessitate more-efficient use of existing training capabilities. The
tool allows users to enter an address, zip code, desired proximity,
and range capability into the system. It will then display a list of
ranges within a specified area, their availability, a map and driving
directions, and scheduling information. This type of feature allows
units to maximize available military training resources before having
to outsource capabilities, resulting in savings.
Agency Comments:
We provided a draft of this report to DOD for comment. In its written
comments, reproduced in appendix III, DOD stated that it agrees in
general with the report. DOD also provided technical comments, which
were incorporated into the report as appropriate.
We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Defense; the
Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force and Commandant of the
Marine Corps; and the Director, Office of Management and Budget. In
addition, the report is available at no charge on the GAO website at
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov].
If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please
contact me at (202) 512-4523 or leporeb@gao.gov. Contact points for
our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found
on the last page of this report. Key contributors to this report are
listed in appendix IV.
Signed by:
Brian J. Lepore:
Director:
Defense Capabilities and Management:
List of Committees:
The Honorable Carl Levin:
Chairman:
The Honorable James M. Inhofe:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Armed Services:
United States Senate:
The Honorable Dick Durbin:
Chairman:
The Honorable Thad Cochran:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Defense:
Committee on Appropriations:
United States Senate:
The Honorable Howard P. "Buck" McKeon:
Chairman:
The Honorable Adam Smith:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Armed Services:
House of Representatives:
The Honorable C.W. "Bill" Young:
Chairman:
The Honorable Pete Visclosky:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Defense:
Committee on Appropriations:
House of Representatives:
[End of section]
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology:
To determine whether the Department of Defense's (DOD) 2013
Sustainable Ranges Report met the reporting requirements specified in
section 366(a) of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2003, as amended, we reviewed the report and compared it
with those requirements. We also compared the 2013 and 2012 reports to
determine what changes, if any, DOD had made to its Sustainable Ranges
Report. In our comparison, we identified changes in the types of
information contained in the two reports, such as DOD's decision to
conduct range capability and encroachment assessment every 3 years. We
also compared the 2013 and 2012 Sustainable Ranges Reports to track
changes in the data that DOD reported, such as changes in training
range capability or DOD's progress in implementing its sustainable
ranges initiative from 2012 to 2013. We also reviewed the memorandums
that the Office of the Secretary of Defense sent to the military
services to request data for the Sustainable Ranges Report to
determine what differences, if any, there were in the types of
information that were requested for the report. In addition, we met
with Office of the Secretary of Defense and service officials to
determine whether the 2013 report met the mandated requirements, and
whether there were changes to the services' submission for 2013. The
intent of our review was to determine whether the Sustainable Ranges
Report met mandated requirements and whether DOD's reporting could be
improved.
To determine whether DOD acted on GAO recommendations to improve its
report submissions and what opportunities, if any, exist for DOD to
improve future reporting, we reviewed the status of prior GAO
recommendations. We identified the actions DOD has taken to meet these
recommendations in its reporting submissions on sustainable ranges.
We conducted this performance audit from February 2013 through July
2013 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for
our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
[End of section]
Appendix II: GAO Recommendations from 2004-2011 Reviews and the Status
of the DOD's Implementation of Those Recommendations:
GAO-12-13R: Military Training: DOD's Report on the Sustainability of
Training Ranges Meets Annual Reporting Requirements but Could Be
Improved (Oct. 19, 2011):
GAO recommendation: In the goals, actions, and milestones section,
include a brief narrative that describes the progress made since the
prior year's report for each action and milestone;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: In the funding requirements section, provide an
explanation for excluding the funds required to execute buffer
projects under the Compatible Use Buffer program from the Army funding
projections for the encroachment category;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: In the funding requirements section, for each
funding category, provide an explanation for significant fluctuations
in funding projections;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO-09-128R: Improvement Continues in DOD's Reporting on Sustainable
Ranges, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Its Range Assessments and
Comprehensive Plan (Dec. 15, 2008):
GAO recommendation: Include each service's rationale for excluding the
specific training ranges not included in its assessment of the
adequacy of current resources to meet requirements in future
sustainable ranges reports;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: Include the Marine Corps' individual combat
training elements as the mission areas in the range capability and
encroachment assessment in future sustainable ranges reports;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: Include an update on the actions taken by the Air
Force to address DOD's modernization and investment goals for range
sustainment in future sustainable ranges reports;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: Include a detailed description of all funding data
included in each funding category, for each of the military services
in future sustainable ranges reports;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO-08-10R: Improvement Continues in DOD's Reporting on Sustainable
Ranges, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Its Range Assessments and
Comprehensive Plan (Oct. 11,2007):
GAO recommendation: Develop clear criteria and standard methods for
assessing current and future training range requirements and
capabilities;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: Include funding information on the services' range
sustainment efforts in future reports;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO-04-608: Military Training: DOD Report on Training Ranges Does Not
Fully Address Congressional Reporting Requirements (June 4, 2004):
GAO recommendation: Develop an integrated training range database that
identifies available training resources, specific capacities and
capabilities, and training constraints caused by limitations on the
use of training ranges, which could be continuously updated and shared
among the services at all command levels, regardless of service
ownership;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: Develop a comprehensive plan, which includes
quantifiable goals and milestones for tracking planned actions and
measuring progress, and projected funding requirements to more fully
address identified training constraints;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: Assess current and future training range
requirements and evaluate the adequacy of current resources to meet
these requirements;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
GAO recommendation: Develop a readiness reporting system to reflect
the impact on readiness caused by training constraints due to
limitations on the use of training ranges;
Status of recommendation: Addressed.
Source: GAO and DOD.
[End of section]
Appendix III: Comments from the Department of Defense:
Office of The Under Secretary Of Defense:
Personnel and Readiness:
4000 Defense Pentagon:
Washington, D.C. 20301-4000:
June 25, 2013:
Mr. Brian J. Lepore:
Director, Defense Capabilities and Management:
U.S. Government Accountability Office:
441 G Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20548:
Dear Mr. Lepore:
This is the Department of Defense (DoD) response to the Government
Accountability Office Draft Report GAO-13-648, "Military Training: DoD
Met Annual Reporting Requirements and Continued to Improve Its
Sustainable Ranges Report," dated June 5, 2013 (GAO Code 351804).
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this draft. The DoD
appreciates the opportunity to work with the GAO to continually
improve reporting on the ability of our training ranges to meet the
needs of the warfighter. The Department agrees in general with the
report, however, we have a few minor technical comments for accuracy.
Sincerely,
Signed by:
Laura J. Junor:
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Readiness):
Enclosure: As stated:
[End of section]
Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:
GAO Contact:
Brian J. Lepore, (202) 512-4523 or leporeb@gao.gov:
Staff Acknowledgments:
In addition to the contact named above, Harold Reich (Assistant
Director), James Ashley, Susan Langley, Sabrina Streagle, Lindsay
Taylor, Cheryl Weissman, and Natasha Wilder made key contributions to
this report.
[End of section]
Related GAO Products:
Military Training: DOD Met Annual Reporting Requirements and Improved
Its Sustainable Ranges Report. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-879R]. Washington, D.C.: September
12, 2012.
Military Training: DOD's Report on the Sustainability of Training
Ranges Meets Annual Reporting Requirements but Could Be Improved.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-13R]. Washington, D.C.:
October 19, 2011.
Military Training: DOD Continues to Improve Its Report on the
Sustainability of Training Ranges. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-977R]. Washington, D.C.: September
14, 2010.
Military Training: DOD's Report on the Sustainability of Training
Ranges Addresses Most of the Congressional Reporting Requirements and
Continues to Improve with Each Annual Update. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-103R]. Washington, D.C.: October
27, 2009.
Improvement Continues in DOD's Reporting on Sustainable Ranges, but
Opportunities Exist to Improve Its Range Assessments and Comprehensive
Plan. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-128R].
Washington, D.C.: December 15, 2008.
Military Training: Compliance with Environmental Laws Affects Some
Training Activities, but DOD Has Not Made a Sound Business Case for
Additional Environmental Exemptions. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-407]. Washington, D.C.: March 7,
2008.
Improvement Continues in DOD's Reporting on Sustainable Ranges, but
Opportunities Exist to Improve Its Range Assessments and Comprehensive
Plan. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-10R]. Washington,
D.C.: October 11, 2007.
Improvement Continues in DOD's Reporting on Sustainable Ranges but
Additional Time Is Needed to Fully Implement Key Initiatives.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-725R]. Washington,
D.C.: June 20, 2006.
Military Training: Funding Requests for Joint Urban Operations
Training and Facilities Should Be Based on Sound Strategy and
Requirements. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-193].
Washington, D.C.: December 8, 2005.
Some Improvements Have Been Made in DOD's Annual Training Range
Reporting but It Still Fails to Fully Address Congressional
Requirements. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-29R].
Washington, D.C.: October 25, 2005.
Military Training: Actions Needed to Enhance DOD's Program to
Transform Joint Training. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-548]. Washington, D.C.: June 21,
2005.
Military Training: Better Planning and Funding Priority Needed to
Improve Conditions of Military Training Ranges. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-534]. Washington, D.C.: June 10,
2005.
Military Training: DOD Report on Training Ranges Does Not Fully
Address Congressional Reporting Requirements. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-608]. Washington, D.C.: June 4,
2004.
Military Training: Implementation Strategy Needed to Increase
Interagency Management for Endangered Species Affecting Training
Ranges. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-03-976].
Washington, D.C.: September 29, 2003.
Military Training: DOD Approach to Managing Encroachment on Training
Ranges Still Evolving. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-03-621T]. Washington, D.C.: April 2,
2003.
Military Training: DOD Lacks a Comprehensive Plan to Manage
Encroachment on Training Ranges. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-02-614]. Washington, D.C.: June 11,
2002.
Military Training: DOD Needs a Comprehensive Plan to Manage
Encroachment on Training Ranges. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-02-727T]. Washington, D.C.: May 16,
2002.
Military Training: Limitations Exist Overseas but Are Not Reflected in
Readiness Reporting. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-02-525]. Washington, D.C.: April 30,
2002.
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] DOD defines range encroachment as external influences that
threaten or constrain range and operating area activities required for
force training and testing. Encroachment includes, but is not limited
to, endangered species and critical habitat, unexploded ordnance and
munitions, electronic frequency spectrum, maritime sustainability,
airspace restrictions, air quality, airborne noise, and urban growth.
[2] Pub. L. No. 107-314 (2002). Section 366 originally required
reports for fiscal years 2005 through 2008. However, this requirement
was extended through 2013 by section 348 of the John Warner National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, Pub. L. No. 109-364
(2006), and extended through 2018 by section 311 of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, Pub. L. No. 112-239.
Additionally, section 1063(c)(2) of Pub. L. No. 110-181 (2008) and
section 1075(g)(2) of Pub. L. No. 111-383 (2011) made clerical
amendments to section 348 of Pub. L. No. 109-364.
[3] Section 366 originally required GAO to submit its report to
Congress within 60 days of receiving the original report from DOD, but
this was extended to 90 days by section 348 of Pub. L. No. 109-364
(2006).
[4] See Related GAO Products page at the end of this report.
[5] In 2002, DOD Directive 7730.65, Department of Defense Readiness
Reporting System (DRRS) (June 3, 2002), established the Defense
Readiness Reporting System to measure and report on the readiness of
military forces and the supporting infrastructure to meet missions and
goals assigned by the Secretary of Defense.
[6] GAO, Military Training: DOD Report on Training Ranges Does Not
Fully Address Congressional Reporting Requirements, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-608] (Washington, D.C.: June 4,
2004).
[7] The Range Facility Management Support System (RFMSS) provides
training support to servicemembers as an automated range scheduler
system.
[End of section]
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